WST Information for Nursing Applicants

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Nursing Applicants (rev Nov 2018):

Since nursing is an impacted major at SJSU, applicants need to satisfy supplemental
criteria that may differ from other programs. In order to avoid miscommunication,
please use this page as a reference for information about the Writing Skills Test
(WST).

All other information and questions about the nursing application process should be
confirmed with the Nursing Department. They maintain a comprehensive list of information
on their Prospective Students page.

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IMPORTANT: A passing score on the WST must be recorded before you apply to the nursingprogram. In most cases, you will not be able to complete your application in time
if you wait until the last test before the deadline. Applicants should plan to take
the WST at least 4-5 months prior to applying to the nursing program.

This usually means that the test must be completed in June, July, September, or October
if you are applying for the following Spring. If you test after October, your results
may not be ready in time for your application deadline. Please plan ahead.

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Nursing applicants with a prior baccalaureate degree from a WASC-accredited school
are exempt from the WST, but must enroll in HPROF 100W. To request this exemption,
please e-mail Dr. Katherine Abriam-Yago.

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Current SJSU students who are part of the Pre-Nursing program should complete the
WST as soon as possible after completing English 1A and their GE Area A3 course.

If you are enrolled at another CSU campus and have completed their equivalent of the
WST exam as either partial or complete fulfillment of the CSU Graduate Writing Assessment
Requirement (GWAR), please e-mail our office to determine if your score can be used to fulfill the WST requirement at SJSU. (Note:
CSU Executive Order 665 allows for the GWAR requirement to be transferred between
campuses if the full requirement has been completed. We are not obligated to accept
partial fulfillment of the GWAR.)

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If you are NOT currently an SJSU student and need to register for the WST, you will
not be able to use the online registration portal to register for the exam.

To register, you will need to come to our office in-person, or contact our office
2+ weeks before the registration deadline. DO NOT CALL. We cannot assist you over
the phone.

Please send us a screenshot of your test registration receipt once you have registered.

If you have trouble registering online, you can register in person at our office (cash/check
only).

3. Prepare and plan ahead for the exam:

Check our list of resources to help you prepare for the test. (Note: Writing Center services are free for SJSU
students only, but please make use of as many online resources as possible. Should
you require additional support, we strongly recommend tutoring services and/or additional
coursework.)

Reserve the ENTIRE day for the exam and make appropriate arrangements in advance for
any personal, professional, and/or transportation needs. Although the test will take
about 2 hours (including check-in), room assignments and reporting times are generated
at random; they CANNOT be changed once assigned. Typical times are 8:00am, 10:15am,
12:30pm, and 2:45pm. We cannot reschedule, assign preferential times, or refund fees
due to personal inconvenience.

If you require extended time and/or disability-related accommodations, or if you cannot
attend a Saturday test date because of religious reasons, requests must be submitted
3-4 weeks in advance. Click here for more information on requesting accommodations.

4. You will receive an admission ticket via e-mail 1 week before the exam date:

We will send your admission ticket to the e-mail address that you give when you register.
The e-mail is the ticket. There is no additional attachment. Please PRINT out the
ticket and bring it with you on the day of the exam. It will be collected. Electronic
copies are unacceptable.

Your room assignment and reporting time will be on your admission ticket. Plan to
arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled time. Allow additional time for
parking, as spaces can be extremely limited. You can find a campus map here.

If you do not receive your admission ticket 1 week before your exam date, please e-mail our office. When you e-mail us, please provide a copy of your registration receipt (proof of
payment).

5. On the day of the exam:

Bring a current, valid photo ID that matches EXACTLY with the name you registered
with. This is absolutely critical. You will NOT be allowed to test if your ID is invalid,
expired, damaged, or not an exact match with our rosters, even for minor variations.
No exceptions.

Bring a printout of your admission ticket. It will be collected. Electronic copies
are unacceptable.

Bring at least 2 pens. A paper-based dictionary (no thesaurus) is optional, but allowed
during the brainstorming section of the test.

Cell phones and mobile devices will be REQUIRED to be powered off completely and physically
placed underneath your desk, on top of any bags and/or personal items. We do not provide
storage for personal items. Plan accordingly.

6. After the exam (IMPORTANT):

Scoring for the WST takes about 3 weeks. A score report will be mailed to your home
address. Please allow an additional 5-7 business days after scoring is completed.

Your WST score will be kept on file, using the temporary ID that we assigned to you.
As long as it remains on the temporary ID, this does NOT satisfy the Nursing Department's
requirements.

You will receive an SJSU ID during the application process. Once you receive it, e-mail our office immediately so we can move the score to your MySJSU account. In your e-mail, include (1)
your full name as it appears on your ID, (2) your 9-digit temporary ID number, (3)
the date of your WST exam, and (4) your 9-digit SJSU ID number. You must do this at least 2 weeks prior to the nursing application deadline. We cannot
guarantee on-time processing for last-minute requests.

Please allow 5-7 business days for the score to be located and reposted to your MySJSU
account. You will receive a confirmation e-mail from our office when the score has
been moved.

Once the score has been posted, the Nursing Department will be able to view it; however,
you will be required to attach an unofficial copy of your score to your application.
To print your unofficial score report, click here for directions.